ὄστρᾰκον,τό,
A. earthen vessel, Ar. Ra. 1190 , Ec. 1033 , Lys. 3.28 , 4.6 ;flower-pot, Thphr. HP 6.7.3 .
2. fragment of such a vessel, potsherd,
IG 42(1).121.82 (Epid.,iv B. C., pl.), LXX Ps. 21.16 , al., Ostr. 1152 , etc.; ἰπνοῦ ὄστρακα
Hp. Morb. 2.47
; esp.the potsherd used in voting(v.ὀστρακίζω): henceτοὔστρακον παροίχεται the danger of ostracismis past, Cratin. 71 ;τὰ ὄστρακα,
= ὀστρακισμός , Pl.Com. 187 ;τὸ ὄ. ἐπιφέρειν τινίto vote for any one's banishment, Plu. Alc. 13 , cf. Per. 14 .
3. ὀστράκου περιστροφή, of the gameὀστρακίνδα(q. v.), Pl. R. 521c ; soὀστράκου μεταπεσόντος'if heads become tails', Id. Phdr. 241b .
4. earthenware castanet,ἡ τοῖς ὀ. κροτοῦσα [μοῦσα], of the poetry of Euripides, Ar. Ra. 1305 .
II. the hardshellof snails, mussels, cuttle-fishes, tortoises, etc., h.Merc. 33 , S. Ichn. 303 (dub.l.), Hp. Steril. 245 , Theoc. 9.25 , Arist. HA 528a4 , etc.: hence,tortoise-shellormother-of-pearl,κλιντῆρες ὀστράκοις . . ἐνδεδεμένοιprob. l. in Ph. 1.666 ; theshellat the base of the constellation Lyra, Ptol. Alm. 7.5 .